


First Signs of Spring

by thevalesofanduin



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Everybody Lives, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 03:30:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3366089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevalesofanduin/pseuds/thevalesofanduin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first flower after winter grows slowly. It struggles, almost gives up only to bloom beautifully as it sings the song of Spring.</p>
<p>Fili, who first thought himself stuck in a loveless arranged marriage, slowly finds that love is not all that different from that lone flower fighting winter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Signs of Spring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rosa_Cotton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosa_Cotton/gifts).



> Wrote this during Nano and only got around posting it now.
> 
> This pairing, ugh... Cuties <3

They’d agreed on the marriage for the sake of their people. For the strength of their nations, for prosperity. It was in all ways a marriage of convenience rather than a marriage out of love.

He’d been raised to know that one day he would have to marry for his people.

She hadn’t.

On the day of their wedding he’d seen all her childhood dreams shatter in front of her eyes when he took her hands in his and promised to be a good husband to her. He’d heard her heart crack when she’d promised the same, to always stand by his side as a dutiful wife and queen-to-be. He’d felt her soul shatter that night, when it was the two of them on their wedding night in their marital bed – even though he’d opted her an out – which she’d refused.

In all aspects, it was a marriage for their people, not for themselves, but Fili thought that given time he could come to care for Sigrid, lady of Dale. She was polite, brave and even if she was human, she was not ugly.

Yes, Fili thought, it will be a fine marriage.

\---

A year into their marriage everything is going smoothly.

He is slowly becoming his uncle’s assistant and advisor while Sigrid is slowly learning the way of dwarves and adapting to life inside the mountain.

They both sleep on their own sides of the bed, with as much space between them as possible. When he bathes, she sleeps in and when he gets dressed, she bathes. He fixes his own braids while she gets dressed and she insists on wearing her hair in the fashion of men, rather than that of dwarves. Fili doesn’t comment, not truly caring how she carries her hair, and they have breakfast together.

They set off the their respective duties, have lunch separately and dinner with the entire family. When they retire for the night she sows or reads in her chair while he either plays his fiddle or does some reading of his own. They occasionally talk but even though they are married for a year, they know very little about one another and thus there is little to talk about.

It’s not perfect, but it is the first year and Fili thinks things could have been far worse.

\---

Two years into their marriage Fili finds himself being proud of being his wife’s husband.

Sigrid has come very far from the silent, almost frightened girl that walked into the mountain on their wedding day.

Now she is a lady, proper and kind yet with a small hint of authority. She’s knowledgeable in the way of dwarves now and has even asked if she can study their history. The books about that are lengthy and boring but still she carries on and Fili can only admire her for that.

So while they still carry on with their lives as before, still hardly spend time together as a husband and wife should, their evenings are now not so silent anymore. She reads about dwarves while he reads about humans and they discuss the differences in their cultures and ways and sometimes it leads to discussions, other times to jokes.

These days, when he goes to bed, Fili feels much more content than before.

\---

Three years into their marriage, Fili is truly and utterly smitten.

Sigrid’s taken to wearing dresses made by the hands of dwarves now, in the colors of his house. The first time it stole his breath away and every morning he lingers in their room to catch her wearing her dresses. She looks like a jewel Mahal crafted by himself in them.

It took some time, for him to think her beautiful. For him to see behind her off-handed comments and to admire her smart comments. Sigrid is no fighter, but she’s smart and efficient in everything she does. When she gets frustrated her cheeks flush adorably and Fili’s eyes linger on her more and more.

He doesn’t know when exactly it has happened. Perhaps when she had a discussion with Kili over one thing or another and told him off quite impressively. Perhaps when they’d been walking down the market and she’d so gently and motherly hugged the little child that had tripped and fallen.

He doesn’t know when, but it has happened and every morning he wishes to ask her if he can braid her hair in the fashion of dwarves. Give her the braids of his family, braids that speak of his love and show off her rank.

But it is something Fili feels she should ask for herself. She knows enough about dwarf culture now to know what it means to ask for her husband to braid her hair.

Every night, Fili goes to bed feeling hopeful that come morning, she will finally ask him.

\---

Four years into their marriage Fili is in love, yet unhappily so.

He loves his wife, he truly does and he desires her as well. But she does not love him, does not desire him. Their routine is ever the same although now it feels more like avoidance of their marriage then a marital routine.

“I had a lovely conversation with the Lady Raile during lunch.” She says one night, reading her book in her usual chair. “She was showing off the braids Kili put in her hair and all the ladies were oh-ing and ah-ing at the romantic gesture.” She raises her eyes from her book and gives him a curious look. “Why don’t you ever braid my hair?”

Fili’s heart is in his throat and his hands almost shake. She asks why he never braids her hair? The audacity! He wonders for a moment if she’s listened to the conversation with lady Raile at all. Swallowing down his hurt, he shrugs. “You never ask.” He sounds off-handedly enough that she won’t catch his hurt.

“Huh,” she hums and there is a pain flickering in her eyes and her lips set in a thin line. Without another word she turns back to her book. They do not speak again that night.

That night, Fili feels alone in their shared bed.

\---

Five years into their marriage Fili is convinced his wife is betraying her loyalty to him.

He hasn’t caught Sigrid with her mystery lover yet but he knows she has one. He’d woken up one morning – about two months ago now – to find everything changed.

She bathes longer now, dresses nicer and picks her jewelry carefully so it matches with her appearance. She takes better care of her hair, too, attempting braids without asking him to help her. That by itself is testament enough to the fact she has fallen for another!

But what is bothering him the most is the fact she seems so relaxed now. She talks more, jokes more and, by sweet Mahal, she laughs more. It’s a soft giggle that’s like music to his hears.

Even now it’s an evening like one they’ve spent many times before. Only she’s sowing something new. A big blanket for all Fili can see and she always has a gentle smile on her lips as she works.

It’s disheartening to think she’s making something for her new lover while he is sitting right next to her. And while he can accept a lot and will let her live her life freely, this is not something he can allow. Not as a heir to the throne, not because, simply said, he’s too jealous for that.

“What are you making?” He asks her that night, strained voice and tight lips. “It looks like a huge project.”

“Oh, it is.” She nods with a hum and looks up at him with that same gentle smile. She takes out the needle to put in her pin-cushion before holding up a little part of her work. “It’s going to be a quilt to put at the foot end of the bed. I’m not that far yet but it’s fun to work on.”

He smiles at her fond look and can’t help but ask: “Any occasion you are making it for?”

This is turning into a normal conversation more and more rather than an interrogation to find out about who her other lover is.

“In normal cases, it’s something a woman makes when courting a man she desires to marry. It’s a gift from her to him on their wedding night, a quilt made by her own hands to hold them warm during cold nights.” She explains and she looks so proud of this human tradition.

It makes Fili’s heart clench, thinking he wasn’t even aware of such tradition until now. Five years after their marriage.

“But you’re not courting anyone.” He blurts and the words feel like a knife plunging into his chest. They just hurt so much.

She shrugs awkwardly with a laugh. “I know, so technically –”

But Fili interrupts her. Can’t bear to listen to the excuses she’ll come up with to cover this up.

He explodes.

“Then who are you making it for? I will accept a lot and have come to accept a loveless marriage but I can’t accept you blatantly making a gift for your… your other lover right in front of my eyes!” He’s standing now, glaring down at her so angry, so _hurt_.

Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open at the acquisition. “Other lover?”

“Yes. The one who makes you smile.” Fili says through gritted teeth and clenches his hands into fists to keep himself from hitting something. “You have to realize you married me and I’m heir to the throne of Erebor. You can’t just go and find yourself another lover to… to satisfy your needs because our marriage isn’t what you hoped it to be.”

“Another lover?” She asks and she sounds angry, looks disappointed and she pushes her needlework to the side as she glares at him. “You think I have another lover? Has it crossed your mind that maybe you’re the reason that I smile?!” She demands her voice angry and her eyes fierce.

“What?” Fili mumbles, stunned beyond words. Does she truly mean what she’s saying?

But she’s not done talking. His fierce wife stands tall, hands on her hips and with a voice wavering from anger and pent-up emotions rages: “But how would you know, with you always being so indifferent? I always thought you didn’t care at all, that it was just convenient to you we are married. Of course, it was to me first but then… How can you be married to someone for five years and _not_ start caring? But I thought… you never braided my hair even though everyone is always gushing about it. It’s supposed to be something special, and yet you want me to ask for it! I didn’t understand at all…” She trails off and her demeanor changes. Her shoulders slump, a sigh passes her lips and then she smiles sadly. “Then one night I heard you whisper my name in your sleep. So loving and tender. I just hoped that it meant what I hoped. And then I started making you my very belated wedding-quilt and got so happy thinking about how delighted you might be were I to give it to you.”

She takes a shake breath and shakes her head with a hiccup. “I have no other lover. There’s you, only you.”

“You…” Fili utters, his heart in his throat. He’s never been so shocked but also he’s never been so happy. He feels as if his heart is exploding because she loves him. _Sigrid loves him!_ “I’m so sorry.” He blurts, embarrassed and even angry at himself for his acquisition. “I didn’t mean… I’ve known for a year now that I cared, that I loved you. I should’ve said, I know, but I thought you didn’t care.”

Sigrid’s laugh interrupts him. She’s got tears in her eyes and is looking at him with such a relieved smile. “We’re idiots.” She says.

Fili can only agree and then finally, _finally_ he stands on his toes and reaches up, hands sliding into her hair as his lips find hers.  
She kisses him back, clings to his shoulders and it’s soft and tender and so loving that Fili feels like crying himself.

When their kiss breaks he gently presses his forehead against hers and can’t help but grin stupidly.

She does the same, tracing one of her hands down his cheeks.

“Would you like for me to braid your hair?” He offers.

She smiles so brightly Fili might compare her to the Arkenstone. “I’d like that very much.”


End file.
